Betrayed and exploited: Dismissed ‘special pioneer’ lashes out against downsizing

Laid-off special pioneers are getting a rough deal from Watchtower
Laid-off special pioneers are getting a rough deal from Watchtower

This website recently reported growing resentment among bethelites over the constant downsizing that’s taking place as the Governing Body hoards its dwindling resources in order to complete the Warwick project.

Further evidence of this resentment was re-posted on Reddit from a German-speaking website for former Jehovah’s Witnesses just last week.

In the open letter (posted here), someone claiming to have been a special pioneer of nearly 30 years laments how he was used up and spit out by an organization that claims to care for him.

Let me first state for the record that this letter cannot be verified because it is anonymous, but given the extensive downsizing Watchtower has been undergoing the world over, a letter like this can hardly be considered implausible.

The full letter is below. Keep in mind this letter has been translated from German, so I’ve cleaned up some of the language for the sake of clarity:

Dear Brothers.
This is my [response] to the way you dismissed me of the Special pioneer service [effective the first of] January 2016. The [fitting] “loving words” cannot reduce my disappointment.
As you mentioned, I experienced a lot of joy and went through a lot of challenges. I was willing to set the kingdom interests first and to [make] sacrifices to serve Jehovah, wherever you thought it is necessary.
In the belief that the end is near and that the organization is [led] by Jehovah’s spirit, I started pioneering in my youth. I [turned down getting] a good education in the hope that the organization needs me. Jehovah is the best employer, as I was told.
And now you decided that my special pioneer service will end [on the first of] January 2016. I ask myself what changed that you do not need my service anymore after nearly 30 years?
I am astonished that you advise me to serve as an normal pioneer in the future. If the end is near, why is my service as [a special pioneer] not necessary anymore? Is it the money? Am I too expensive for the organization?
Do you need the money, which is donated to support the preaching work for other activities? For example for building projects, like Warwick or temple farms? I really feel betrayed and exploited.
It seems to be the case that some buildings projects are more important for the “slave” than humans, who try to help others. Your offer to release me from my duty to reach the monthly hours goal, that I can do necessary things like looking for a job or for living, is really generous. Until January you want to pay my allowance as usual.
Really generous of you! To be honest it feels like a hit in my face or a kick in my ass.
I have no financial back up in my age and no education. I can probably not expect any support from my family, as they warned me [about getting into special pioneering].
As you mentioned, I did not expect this decision and I do not believe anymore that the Governing Body or the Branch Office are really valuing the work I did.
Your encouragement to trust at Jehovah sounds like derision. As I thought Jehovah provides for his servants through his organization. You do not want to lose my service and my experience, but you do not want to spend a single dollar for it anymore.
How else could I interpret this sentence? Quote: “In view of the valuable experience you have gained in your ministry, we hope your circumstances will allow you to engage in the regular pioneering”… “In that way, your full time service will not be interrupted. As a regular pioneer, you may choose the congregation in which you want to serve; however, we hope that, if possible, you can stay in your current assignment. If you move to another location, please talk to the circuit overseer or write to the Service Department to know where you might be more useful.”
I truly understood now, what is important for Jehovah`s organization: the only things that are counting, are efficiency and the gain for the organization, not the people.
Disappointed greetings.
Your Brother
(I do not want to tell you my name until I am not longer depending on you).

It is safe to assume that this man’s cause for agitation is far from unique, and that countless other bethelites and special pioneers are also being shown the door by Watchtower and left to fend for themselves.

The Witnesses who obeyed the prohibition on higher education and gave up their prospect of university or college education to serve in a full time capacity are now effectively being punished for their faith in Watchtower. Now they are abandoned —middle-aged, unskilled, unemployed and homeless — with not a cent to their name to show for the decades they spent loyally peddling cult propaganda.

Apparently, those who are being handed their pink slips are not walking away quietly as the Governing Body would wish, grateful for the privilege of serving a deluded group of cult leaders in New York. The realization that they wasted the best years of their life may be beginning to sink in.

Furthermore, a question should be forming in their minds, and in the minds of other thinking Witnesses who are beginning to see through the facade the Governing Body has set up to attempt to hide their financial woes: If the end of the system is near, nearer than ever before, shouldn’t the worldwide work of kingdom preaching be expanding rather than diminishing?

The best employer?

In the letter, the brother states that he was told Jehovah is the best employer. Those words ring hollow when you consider that employers, at the very least, pay their employees, not milk them of free labor for decades and then leave them on their own to starve.

Today, the best employers offer full time health and dental coverage, long and short term disability, paid holidays, 401(k) plans, conference and training budgets, above average salaries, and more. In the event downsizing occurs, employees are given severance packages, and in most countries, qualify for unemployment, so they can cover their basic expenses while trying to find a new job.

Full time servants who are dismissed by Watchtower receive none of those benefits, and instead are given three months to find a job and move out. And without any actual work experience or education that most hiring managers require, the rejected witnesses are in perhaps the worst position imaginable to find employment.

If Jehovah truly is backing the Watchtower organization, it therefore stands to reason that he is not even a mediocre employer.

Rubbing salt and lemon in the wounds

It appears the men Watchtower appointed to carry out the layoffs are not sensitive to the desperate situation they have placed full time servants in. As the letter quoted:

“In view of the valuable experience you have gained in your ministry, we hope your circumstances will allow you to engage in the regular pioneering”… “In that way, your full time service will not be interrupted. As a regular pioneer, you may choose the congregation in which you want to serve; however, we hope that, if possible, you can stay in your current assignment. If you move to another location, please talk to the circuit overseer or write to the Service Department to know where you might be more useful.”

Not only is the Governing Body deserting special pioneers so they can save money for their Warwick fantasy, they are downgrading them to regular pioneer status and still attempting to milk these poor people for more of their free time.

Call me materialistic, but putting myself in their shoes, my main concern would not be “How can I be more useful to this organization?” but “How do I find a job that pays enough to provide food and shelter?” How these slave masters can dare to control where their fired servants live and wring out every last drop from them is beyond me.

Keep warm and well fed

One can’t help but be again reminded of the scripture in James 2:15-17: “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

If this letter is any indication, this anonymous special pioneer will sadly not be the only full time Watchtower volunteer left to fend for himself by an organization he trusted to reward him for his years of service.

 

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Further reading…

229 thoughts on “Betrayed and exploited: Dismissed ‘special pioneer’ lashes out against downsizing

  • October 12, 2015 at 8:39 pm
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    Here in Australia High school, goes to grade 12, in the past you could leave in Grade 10, & just get whats called a Junior Certificate, thats what i got, that was enough to get a low paying job, if you went onto grade 12 & got a senior education it was classed as higher education, so a lot of people out their only got the junior, thank you god that the law changed & now its mandatory to go all the way unless you got a job, so both my kids have got senior education, My wife got a senior and has been able to have great jobs for the last 3 decades, the training i got, sorry to say this, at the meetings, being an elder & bible basher , set me up in my job as a salesman, a number of years ago i purchased the business, was secretly ridiculed by many, & now in a position of doing very well for ourselves, & in the future will make a massive return on the business & live happily everafter, oh yeah not to mention providing a roof & a car for my now deceased parents, we are also supporting my 2 children in their endeavors, ME 3.0, you made a great point about using the skills we have picked up, & i agree, but many are in La La land & can’t function, i see them here, home schooled, dont worry the end is here soon, play the long game people, & they wonder why i don’t want to go to meetings anymore!!

    • October 12, 2015 at 10:18 pm
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      @Wip it . SUCH A BRILLIANT ANSWER & COMMENT… I do Hope Many come to the Same Conclusion as You !

  • October 12, 2015 at 9:12 pm
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    So of course the Governing Body is behind all this, but I would wonder how the WT board of directors views what’s going on here. After all, they have the real legal authority, from what I understand the GB members gave up all legal authority over the organization years ago, because they didn’t want to be bothered with all the legal paperwork that went along with the job. What happens if the board wakes up and decides the GB has gone rogue or become too much of a liability? I’m sure they could give the GB the boot any time they saw fit, kind of like when Rutherford kicked out the 4 men who weren’t legally part of the board. Besides, if the government were to take action against the organization for all the child abuse scandals, it would be the board who would legally responsible, and I have no doubt the GB members would let them take the fall for it. I think it would be in the best interests of the board of directors to get rid of the GB now before things get any worse. I seriously doubt they want to be held responsible for all the legal problems the GB has introduced into the religion.

    • October 12, 2015 at 11:46 pm
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      Good point. In reality the “governing body” (1944) and then the “Governing Body” (1976), and then the Governing Body of Bethel Dictators (1976) is really just an experiment—that has now failed.

      If the board had any cajones they would send the GB out on hot rails to the dumpster—the “GB 1944-1976 Experiment” has utterly failed.

      And worse is it can be researched the WTBTS is worth BILLIONS, they are far from “going broke”, and from what I hear they had a “JW Broadcasting” watershed year, almost a billion in “donations”. The “JW Media” Commercial paid off nicely.

      • October 13, 2015 at 1:13 am
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        @Mark o. I LIKE YOUR STYLE!! Yes Governing Body of DICTATORS .. & yes a very subtle change of small letters ‘ governing body’ in 1944 to CAPITALISING in 1976 to Governing Body’ in the JW Literature … Quite Fascinating looking back at Older Literature !
        BUT WHERE IN SCRIPTURE is There ANY JUSTIFICATION For This ELEVATING these 7 FALLIBLE MEN of Brooklyn ??? …. NONE!!

  • October 12, 2015 at 9:33 pm
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    I think there will be pressure on the congregations to help them out, lodgings, work and so on.

    • October 12, 2015 at 11:50 pm
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      “In that way, your full time service will not be interrupted. As a regular pioneer, you may choose the congregation in which you want to serve; however, we hope that, if possible, you can stay in your current assignment. If you move to another location, please talk to the circuit overseer or write to the Service Department to know where you might be more useful.”

      So “As a regular pioneer, you may choose the congregation in which you want to serve”

      Yet “If you move to another location, please talk to the circuit overseer or write to the Service Department to know where you might be more useful.”

      So the guy could say “send me to the Beverly Hills of Bel-air JW Congregation”, but the “service desk” must be consulted first.

      What a joke.

  • October 12, 2015 at 11:41 pm
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    In the UK maybe a ‘Duty of Care’ action or even slavery legislation, on a no-win-no-fee basis.
    The R&F will have to provide for these domestics because the ‘FDS’ is not.
    Or maybe the money is all gone?

  • October 13, 2015 at 6:35 am
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    I guess they’re all apostates now for speaking ill of “Jehovah’s Organization” that downsized them for a nicer building.

  • October 13, 2015 at 6:39 am
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    Legally, if the business they work for promises them something, then they must follow through on that promise.

  • October 13, 2015 at 8:23 am
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    I hope they all land as softly as possible (the love-motivated ones who deserve to) upon being ejected from their current status in such a cold way. But, more than anything, I hope that MANY of them see this as the “last straw”, and no matter how insurmountable the challenge of starting a new life away from this cult may seem, they go with that option. I hope many of them find this website– as a new source of sound advice, unconditional compassion and moral support for them.

  • October 13, 2015 at 9:35 am
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    All of this is lies from the mentally deranged apostates working as sub-contractors for Satan and his little Devils. Here are some more apostate lies:

    1) Growth has slowed to 0%. This is a lie spread by our competitors to make it seem like Jehovah is not blessing all these new changes that are made under inspiration [and psychedelic drugs]. The fact that 200k “worldly” people are born everyday means we have much growth remaining in this cult……………oh my god so sorry. Freudian slip. I mean in “GODS ONLY ORGANIZATION.” Let me remind you doubters that every SINGLE DAY we baptize anywhere between 0 and 891,021 so it is clear that Jehovah must be blessing this growth!

    2) Selling off of dozens of bethel branches, assembly halls and kingdom halls is our way of cost cutting. Another lie spread by mentally ill apostates to make it seem like Jehovah’s only organization is not growing and running out of money. Jehovah himself sends scrolls of freshly printed $$$$Benjamins$$$$ directly to our door step. Of course you can and MUST donate everything you can to us including your last will and testament… because JEHOVAH loves a CHEERFUL GIVER, brothers! Did I mention it is TAX DEDUCTIBLE? Yes brothers! SO the more money you give us the more money you will save on your taxes! YES!

    3)Special Pioneers are getting the ax. Another evil, evil lie! Why would we do that to those who have given up their whole lives to serve us……………..ooooooooopsie daisy I mean, to serve JEHOVAH, only to be axed like worthless fools! After all we need them to find new recruits and money donors! Since you lower rank “publishers” are slacking off in your fund raising…………. Oh MY GOD, sorry again! I mean slacking off in your MINISTRY, the brunt of the work is done by special PIONEERS working in THIRD WORLD CESSPOOLS where people lack an education and the INTERNET (Satan’s most evil TOOL!) so we need them. The demise of the special pioneer is greatly exaggerated.

    4)Overlapping generations doctrine is being questioned by the Bethel family at morning worship. Yet another terrible, evil, mentally diseased, apostate lie! Certainly our most loyal workers would NEVER question any of our teachings, especially when it is called NEW LIGHT! Our NEW LIGHT is getting so bright, it almost looks like a new star is forming in our solar system! Please note: due to cost cutting, all NEW LIGHT will now be limited to energy efficient CFL light only.

    5)We misquote scripture, scholars and experts to fit our own agenda. What a terrible lie those mentally deranged apostates say! Just because we pull scriptures out of our asses and then apply it to ourselves so you STAND STILL, LISTEN AND OBEY what we say because WE ARE THE FAITHFUL SLAVE does not mean we are not being directed by HOLY SPIRITS. As in PLURAL. Please note: Do not pay ANY attention to any of the facts surrounding Jesus’ “inspection” of our long dead ancestors in 1918 who used astrology, the pyramids of Giza, and experiments with ALCHEMY to arrive at those dates. Further, please pay no attention to EVERY PIECE OF EVIDENCE that PROVES Jerusalem was destroyed in 587 B.C.E. Since WE SAY that Jerusalem was destroyed in 607 B.C.E means that it must BE SO. Any research further into this subject will be immediately REPORTED as APOSTASY and an S1-VA form will be filled out by the local elders. So don’t EVEN THINK about using GOOGLE OR ENCYCLOPEDIAS OR ANCIENT TEXTS, all of WHICH are SATAN’S TOOLS, to research this matter! 607 B.C.E is the date and that is the end of this discussion! Now LISTEN AND OBEY!

    Your “Christian” Brothers,
    The Evil and Discreet Slave

    • October 13, 2015 at 10:08 am
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      Now, now Anthonyyy, Tonyyyy, tone, tone, tone, tone. There is no need for such a detailed explanation exnay on the spiritsney. We must focus on the overlapping time warp continuom and let the “friends” concentrate on those windows.

      • October 13, 2015 at 10:55 am
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        Alright yous two cut it out. If we’re ever going to have the complete worship that belongs to God from these sheeple, we have to work together. We have to get our names out there in light, enough of this Discreet nonsense. What say you, I start reading them comics to the kidz and teach them to shut their traps about any..stuff. Get me a list of our best executioners and ill start setting up the speaker line up in those conventions next year. Aw crud, Randy Tony is fired up again, he musta seen some tight pants, quick let him smell the cheese, the cheese!

        • October 14, 2015 at 1:04 am
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          OH what joy and raptures my bretheren. I see now caleb is the new messiah and sophie his helpmeet. Its all so clear..Wait they are telling me more donations not needed Hummmm there is more coming through the small gods channel …here it is NO repeat NO donations ever again. No more money is needed they have quite enough for about one thousand years. Isn’t that a miracle! It’s the new message sheeple no more money grubbing. Take a short holiday all of ye faithful … teehee ruthless

          • October 14, 2015 at 1:38 pm
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            Incredible, guys. Laughing my **** head off. Brilliant!

  • October 13, 2015 at 11:02 am
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    Jehovah’s Witnesses buy Fishkill apartments. Web Site: poughkeepsie journal article. Not just any apartment. A “Luxury Apartment”. I always like religious organizations telling their people to keep their eye simple, when they themselves cannot do it. Hypocrites! Hypocrites!

    • October 13, 2015 at 11:10 am
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      On that note ill post this letter again from one of Rutherfords right hand men. He couldn’t stomach the hipocracy either.

      Regarding Rutherford’s alcoholism, that was well-known at Bethel during his term as President of the WTS. People who lived during that era have frequently written about it. During prohibition Rutherford wrote an article in the WT which was a scathing attack on the Satanic U.S. Government for passing the law on prohibition. Below is a letter from W.F. Salter who left the society in 1937 in disgust over Rutherford’s antics.

      You will note that he mentioned expensive booze being smuggled from Candada by the CASE for Rutherford’s personal use.

      Here’s the letter Salter wrote:

      P.O. Box no. 404
      Toronto, Canada
      April 1, 1937

      Hon. J.F. Rutherford
      4140 Braeburn Road
      Kensington Heights,
      San Diego, California

      I wrote you on January 25th embodying an article which I believe proved by the Scriptures that our Lord has not returned and that the saints have not yet been resurrected. That Christ has not returned is proven clearly by His statement in Matthew 24 wherein, having outlined all the things to occur at the end of the age, including the great tribulation, He said: “When ye see ALL these things know that He is nigh even at the door.” Verse 33, Diaglott; and margin King James version. Mark well the Master’s words for He says even after ye see all these things He would not be present, but near, even at the door. Well did He warn His true followers not to be deceived by any man saying He was present when He was not?

      I also suggested, that “the battle of that great day of God Almighty” is not necessarily “the battle Of God Almighty” but merely a mighty and final battle of Satan’s visible forces among themselves, in which God would put it into their hearts to destroy churchianity. The time of the battle is the day of God Almighty, just as one might say in the day of Shakespeare, and that would in no sense prove that God was going to fight any more than it would prove Shakespeare was going to fight. God’s act of destruction of Satan’s forces will be beyond Armageddon.

      Two years ago last summer you made the statement to me and another that you had bluffed all your life. I believe that was one of the truest statements you ever made and I am now calling your bluff, and challenge you to answer the article above referred to point by point and prove from the Scriptures that Armageddon is the battle of God Almighty.

      The premise of all the teachings of the Society’s publications which might be spoken of as spiritual teaching i.e., teachings which are supposed to be for the Lord’s people, is that Christ has returned and is at His temple for judgment. The burden of the Society’s message to the world is that God at Armageddon will destroy all the forces of Satan. If Christ has not returned, and I now believe He has not, and if Armageddon is not God’s battle, and I believe it is not, the light in that connection has come to us not through the WATCHTOWER but from another source, which, proves that the WATCHTOWER is not the channel through which God is feeding His people and not only so but that all the teachings presented therein since 1918 and based on these false premises are wrong!

      • October 13, 2015 at 11:14 am
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        Continued

        So much for doctrine: now a word regarding what I feel constrained to state concerning the corruption otherwise of the Society.

        As the scales by the Lord’s grace, have fallen from my eyes I have been astounded to see how blinded I have been to your actions, through a superstition that the WATCHTOWER was the Lord’s channel of meat in due season for the household of faith and that you as President of the Society were God’s chief servant amongst His people, and that you being responsible we should be submissive to whatsoever you required done, foolishly thinking that I had no responsibility in the matter and that anything you did that was wrong, or that I did as ordered by you, the Lord would overrule. It was with this thought in mind that I, at your orders would purchase cases of whiskey at $60.00 a case, and cases of brandy and other liquors, to say nothing of untold cases of beer. A bottle or two of liquor would not do; it was for THE PRESIDENT and nothing was too good for THE PRESIDENT. He was heaven’s favorite, why should not he have everything that would gratify his desires for comfort. True, I had a part therein for I partook of your hospitality, or shall I say the Society’s hospitality for it was the Society’s money but I partook, as above stated, being blinded with the idea the THE PRESIDENT was in charge and therefore responsible and not I. Today I see that the thought was absolutely wrong and that the squandering of the Society’s money in that respect was a mis-appropriation of funds, and I should have taken no part therein whatsoever. I confess my wrong before the friends and before the Lord and ask their forgiveness and His.

        Often as I thought about this extravagance and waste and then thought of the lot of the pioneers I was puzzled, but my conscience was lulled by the belief that the Lord was using you to serve His cause and people and therefore I did not and dared not say anything that I thought would cause the friends to lose confidence in you as a servant of the Lord. True, I have humorously said to those whom I thought were our mutual friends things regarding your idiosyncrasies that all MEN between friends say one of another, just as you have said of me, which things I know have been traitorously (Matthew 24:10, John 16:1,2) reported to you not along out of their setting but so out of their spirit that none who wanted to know the truth would recognize them as the original statements, and before my God I can state I have never to my knowledge done anything intentionally to injure you, the work of the Society, or its interests, in my life. In that betrayal you joined hands – not that I mind in point of fact I thank God that He permitted it and assure you I would do good to any of the conspirators had I the opportunity.

        While recognizing your position as President of the corporation I have always reserved the right to think. It has been well said, “A man who cannot think is an idiot, a man who won’t think is a fool, and a man who is afraid to think is a coward.” I absolutely refuse to have any person do my thinking for me. I could not do otherwise and be faithful to my God. I could not be a Russellite and be faithful to God; I could not be a Rutherfordite and be faithful to God; I could not be a Channelite and be faithful to God; and I could not be a Dawnite or any other Ite and be faithful to God. To be such, to my understanding of the Scriptures, would mean one was defiled with women (organizations) and subject to their will and not the will of God. (Revelation 14:4) “He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully (And not the deductions and sophistries of men” no matter what they may claim for themselves or their office – or organization with which they happen to be associated,) “Behold. I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the Lord…and cause My people to err by their lies, and by the lightness.” Jeremiah 23:28,42 . True, all these Ites or Iarns have some truth: some more, some less. Otherwise they could not deceive the people. It is with that very truth, together with the sophistries of men, that Satan blinds men; in fact the more truth they have when wrongfully used, the more deceptive they are. Each claim to speak with authority, some much more dogmatically than others. Paul well counsels, “Beware any lest man spoil your through philosophy.” – Col. 2:8.

        The squandering of the Society’s money on liquor was only one thing I had cause to wonder over; there were other things. I could not help but contrast with the lot of the pioneers the luxury that you surrounded yourself with and the comfort that I enjoyed, and among these luxuries I cannot refrain from mentioning the following:

        1. Now one but two 16-cylinder cars, one in California and one in New York. One would not suffice for THE PRESIDENT nor would a 6 cylinder car be big enough for THE PRESIDENT, but a 4 would do for a pioneer, or a bicycle or a hand-sleigh, or trudging along without any vehicle at all.

        2. Your New York apartment, easily worth a rental of $10,000.00 a year. And its luxurious furnishings.

        3. Your palatial residence on Staten Island, camouflaged as essential to the broadcasting station WBBR.

        4. As though that residence were not sufficient, a further small place of seclusion in the woods of Staten Island where you can go and rest your weary body while the pioneers and others trudge from door to door.

        5. Your further abode at San Diego, for which you yourself told me you were offered $75,000.00, but of course it could not be sold and the funds used to help the pioneers because it was deeded to David – what hypocrisy!

        6. Commodious and expensive quarters in Magdeburg, Germany, for the convenience of THE PRESIDENT, to say nothing of the provision made for your comfort in London.

        As what is your mental attitude toward all this? Why you glory in it and brazenly advertise it to the friends. “Who dares find fault therewith? Am I not THE PRESIDENT?” Yes, you glory in it, glorying in your shame.

        Nothing is too good for THE PRESIDENT. He must have every comfort and every consideration, but he feels very sympathetic and so tenderly disposed toward the “dear pioneers.” Words are easy, but actions speak louder than words and I cannot imagine a more striking illustration, even as between the clergy class and laity, than between yourself and the pioneers as referred to be Jesus words when he said: “For they (the hypocrites) bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their little fingers…Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye devour widows houses…ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte. And love…the chief seats in the synagogues…and to be called by men, “Rabbi Rabbi” (some distinctive name). Truly the pioneers and others have had burdens heaped upon them that you would not move with one of your fingers. Truly the widows have been robbed at your suggestion, or rather I should say command, for your command to the friends is, “Take their last penny for a book; they need it more than bread.” What a spirit! And yet the friends submit to it. While a few will take the penny and as Paul says, “glory in their shame,” how the vast majority hate it, but feel they must obey – God is speaking. What sacrilege! What blasphemy! What trafficking in the name of the Heavenly Father! The friends have served you faithfully, they have unknowingly been your servants, robbed by you of everything even the word of God and his precious promises which you have made null and void by your vain babblings; trudging on day by day, wondering but without a murmur. My what faithfulness, and what a taskmaster! I feel sure many will have their eyes opened, for 7,000, at least at heart have not bowed the knee to Baal even though they have advertised your name more than that of God Almighty. I would that you had gone from door to door as the pioneers and others have, and you would then know what you are talking about.

        I could go on at much length about the things I know considering your personal conduct and the contrast between yourself and the pioneers, but I choose not. My sole purpose in outlining my personal experience with you is with the earnest hope of awakening the friends to the fallacy of putting confidence in man above God’s word, or idolizing an office and putting confidence in that office above God’s word. A Christian must learn that to honor God he must put faith in God’s word and God’s word alone, making it his shield and his buckler and not a man or body of men or corporation, no matter what claim is made for that man, body of men or corporation, for soon we get into the paths of human reasoning and that invariably leads us to disaster as the wrecks all along the pathway of the Gospel Age bear witness to. One organization after another Satan has overreached and brought into subjection of his will. The clergy class being overreached by Satan tried to establish the Kingdom before its time and convert the world. Of course, they claimed they were not doing it but God was. So today Satan has overreached the Society and has caused the friends through the WATCHTOWER to believe the time has come to establish the Kingdom and gather together the great multitude before the time, claiming of course that they are not doing it but that God is. But God is not and they are therefore not getting nowhere as all honest brethren are now admitting and are asking the questions, “if the millions who will never die, constitute the great multitude, are being gathered, where are they? For they certainly are not coming in our town or city.” You know and I know, all who read the reports intelligently know, that despite all our stupendous effort – there are less than 50,000 associated with the Society in its work! If for the next ten years there should become associated an average of 50,000 a year, at the end of that time there would then only be 550,000. How long would it take at that rate to gather the “millions who would never die,” and if such must take their stand before Armageddon, as you teach, how far away is Armageddon? Well, someone will say, “Well, if that be true what are we doing now?” The Bible answers the question: “We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not brought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the earth fallen.” Isaiah 26:18. “Not everyone that saith unto me,’ Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess unto them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” – Matthew 7:21-23. The Roman Catholic Church is doing a great work but in the name of the Roman Catholic Church. Likewise the Protestant systems are doing a great work in their names, and the Salvation Army is doing a great work in its name, but the Society is doing it in His most holy name (Jehovah). “In fact, Lord, we’re so busy with works we have hardly time to open our Bibles, let alone study them. You see, Lord we have our YEAR BOOK to study now and that tells of our wonderful works, and our PRESIDENT, too, is very busy writing books. And oh, Lord, he is so courageous and his faith in Thee so great that he gets behind four walls, or surrounds himself literally with an armed bodyguard, and bellows away his dreams (Jeremiah 23:31,82) [sic] and sends us out from door to door to face the enemy while he goes from ‘drink to drink,’ and tells us if we don’t we are going to be destroyed. But don’t misunderstand us Lord, we don’t do it from fear or for reward, but because of our great love for you, and therefore will not be disappointed if we get no reward, but our hope is we will spared through Armageddon. Our PRESIDENT, Lord, is really a very important man. Of course he says he is not even though he thinks he is, but then that you and it is not for us to reason why; ours is but to do and die; and ‘we love to have it so.’ Of course he says when he speaks personally it might not be correct to say he is speaking for you, but when he speaks as PRESIDENT or through the WATCHTOWER or books then you speak; is it not wonderful!”

        In fact these publications, he says, contain your commands and we must obey. My, what a difference a little man-made office or a little paper and ink make. How authoritative one then becomes and just on a par with the Catholic priest who says bread and wine is just bread and wine but he blesses it, oh my, it is the actual body and blood of Christ!! How alike Mr. Rutherford (excuse me, I should have said ‘Judge’) is to Mr. Ratti, for does not Mr. Ratti say when he speaks personally it is nothing but when he speaks as the Pope, he speaks infallibly. “Oh,” some will say, “the Roman Catholic Church is the counterfeit of the true and the Society is the true church.” But the question might be asked is it not more reasonable to conclude that the Society is the counterfeit of the Roman Catholic Church even though the Catholic Church is not the true church, do not appear to be the work of the same potter? Note, the spirit of both: pride, arrogance, intolerance, bombast, to say nothing of the spirit of judging. Furthermore, Paul’s statement in 2nd Thessalonians 2:4,8 seems to have application to both organizations. These verses read: “…so, that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (When we speak officially, God speaks commands. Beware!)…And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall annihilate with the brightness of his coming!”

        Now a word regarding the financial progress of the Society. You inform the friends and the public that the books and booklets are placed with the public at cost – they surely are and more!! You well know that the price to the pioneers until recently covered all costs including all appropriate overhead charges and even now the loss is only slight on some items, while on the other hand the price to the companies and public nets the Society at least 100%! What is this 100% if it is not profit? Poor gullible friends. How they believe everything you tell them!!! Where do they think the millions of dollars invested in buildings, machinery, stock, etc, at Brooklyn, Magdeburg, London, Toronto and other places, to say nothing of your own dwellings, etc, come from if not from profit on the books? You know and I know that the gain the Canadian Office alone during the past few years was a hundred thousand dollars. And at the time I was relieved of my duties there was not only a large sum in the bank as customary but also over $25,000.00 in cash was lying in the Society’s vaults at 40 Irwin Avenue and had for years, which could be used for the needs of the President or those whom he might designate in case of an international emergency – and the dear pioneers? Well, of course they could go hungry. Poor gullible friends!! My, were we not blind, and how blind the friends still are! And yet the annual reports tell of our great losses and how it is hoped the Lord will make it up. Well, it is said, “figures don’t lie, but liars do figure.”

        From the article “Upon Our Lord’s Return” which shows it is a future event, which the vast majority of the friends now have, and which others may have upon application, they can choose between a “thus saith the Lord” as found therein and your bombast, bluff, and follow which they choose. Furthermore, from the above testimony, which is true before the Lord as you know it to be, the friends can determine whom you are serving. Many no doubt will decide, “I will remain with the Society until THE PRESIDENT himself through the WATCHTOWER tells me I must go.” Poor, deluded children, may God have pity upon them is my earnest prayer. They ultimately will be forced by the logic of events to realize their mistake even as I was forced to, blindest of the blind.

        It seems strange that after our experiences of 1914 and 1925 we should still fail to draw a clear cut line of demarcations between deduction and a “thus saith the Lord”, and go on dogmatizing regarding the Lord’s presence, dogmatizing about the Lord being at His temple, and dogmatizing concerning what Armageddon will bring about. But there are “none so blind as those who won’t see” and they will go on prophesying false dreams until events themselves prove the folly thereof. And this, even though such false teachings bring dishonor to God and His word, for what is prone to dishonor God’s word more in the minds of people than testimony that is made with a declaration that it is based upon God’s word when that testimony is found to be false. One does well to take heed to Deuteronomy 18:21, 22, which reads: “If thou say in thine heart how shall we know the word, which the Lord hath spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the things follow not nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoke, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptously; though shalt not be afraid of him.” (An outstanding example, our nonsense concerning what God was going to do in the year 1925.) And again I quote Jeremiah 23:28-82 [sic] “He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully…Behold, I am against them that prophecy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness.”

        Up until the time I received the article “Upon Our Lord’s Return”, above referred to, I believe the Society was the Lord’s organization. That article shook my belief therein. I wrote you to see if the article could be answered. It has not been answered. I cannot be answered because it is the truth, and I now no longer believe the Society is the Lord’s channel of truth or that you are a servant of the Lord, whatever else you might be. As God is against the Society (Jeremiah 23:98-82) [sic] and every other adulterous woman that defiles men and makes them puppets or “yes men”, so must I be. I was active in the service work up to and including the “Jehovah of Hosts” testimony period and then was forced to the conclusion that such service was not only not of God but dishonoring to His Word and Name. Why, one may ask? I answer: because the message contained in the publications is largely based upon the false premise that our Lord is present, the He is at His Temple and that God at Armageddon will destroy Satan’s organization and usher in His Kingdom in power and glory upon the earth. The message is spoken presumptously and is based upon philosophy or deduction of man and not upon a “thus saith the Lord.” In other words, it is what the Lord speaks of as “false dreams” and He say He is against such and therefore I must be. Was the Lord please with our false dream concerning 1925 and the zeal of the friends in that connection? He was not. Was it a lie. It was. Did we learn any lesson therefrom and humble ourselves before the Lord? We did not but went right on presumptuously heralding broadcast our further dreams in His name. Will He be any more pleased this time with our dream and zeal than he was in 1925? He will not, and therefore it behooves a faithful child of God to courageously take a stand and “come out of her that he be not a partaker of her sins.”

        But someone may ask, “if the Society is not doing the Lords work, what is the Lords work?” The answer to this question must stand until a later date. Suffice to say now that just as one required to see in a measure at least the corruption of Churchianity and be dissatisfied therewith before he could accept what truth the Society had, so likewise one must see in a measure at least the corruption of the Society and how far it has departed from a “thus saith the Lords” before he can receive the answer to that question. In the meantime, I would suggest that any who read this letter should read carefully and prayerfully 1st Corinthians 18 and Philippians 4:8, pausing after each sentence to think on what he has read.

        While hardly related to the matter at hand, I could not help but think as I read a recent copy of the GOLDEN AGE of Paul’s word in Phil 4:8 which reads: “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, THINK OF THESE THINGS.” I wonder how one could read such blood-curling stuff and obscene language as the GOLDEN AGE contains and at the same time carry out Paul’s admonition. But I can hear some scoffer saying, “Oh that was only Paul and he said it long before the Lord came to his temple in 1918. Since then we are taught to be real “He” men, real “Christians” that know how to use strong language.

        In all my twenty years association with you I always had a kindly feeling of love toward you in the Lord and have in sincerity always closed my letters to you giving expression thereto. Even upon this occasion I cannot refrain from saying that I would to God that you would awaken to your position and make full confession before Him, for I have no ill will toward you whatsoever; I pity you and would do you good if I could. Remember, God is a God of loving kindness and tender mercy; His mercy endureth forever!

        As I survey the whole matter I am reminded of Jesus words in John: “This is the condemnation that (cometh upon you) lit is come into the world. And me (you) loved darkness rather than light because their (your) works were evil”, not truth but lies, false dreams, vain babblings. “Am I therefore you enemy because I tell you the truth?” Galatians 4:16

        Sincerely,

        W.F. Salter

        • October 13, 2015 at 2:47 pm
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          @Robert67 . Mr Walter Salters Letter is a TERRIFYING PARALLEL of What is HAPPENING … TODAY !! .., The SIMILARITIES Are FRIGHTENING .
          What is UNSETTLING is the USE of the WORD…., ‘ FRIENDS’ by Walter Salter & HOW OFTEN it is USED NOW on TV.JW.ORG !!! Instead of ‘ Brothers & Sisters’
          The 7 EVIL MEN of BROOKLYN DEFINITELY Just Like Rutherford are MANIPULATING Poor Innocent Brothers & Sisters for ‘ FINANCIAL PROFIT’!!!
          DISGUSTING & WICKED !!!!!

          • October 13, 2015 at 3:28 pm
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            Thank you Robert67. What a corrupt empire? And Rutherford allowed all those Witnesses to be slaughtered by Hitler. How long can this pathetic charade be allowed to go on? Even though this letter was written many decades ago it is being read now on this website. The expose goes on. Amazing stuff. If that is not a miracle in itself I don’t know what is.

            The question we will have to ask ourselves is “How long will God keep putting up with this lying bunch of fakes?”

          • October 14, 2015 at 12:31 am
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            Yes, and it was posted twice…

          • October 14, 2015 at 1:14 pm
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            Don’t forget former governing body member Ray Franz’s extremely very eye opening book: “Crisis of Conscience”. This was certainly one of the things that helped me with my decision to disassociate:
            http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/books/franz01.pdf

  • October 13, 2015 at 11:48 am
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    Very well written! And soo predictable how Watchtower views people as a expendable commodity …hope they can be somehow held accountable.

  • October 13, 2015 at 11:56 am
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    How could the Watchtower, with its multi-billion dollar real estate empire, become cash poor? It could be that the Watchtower has had some more of its assets frozen by the courts in expectation of large child sex abuse judgments, as was done in this case:

    “On June 20th 2012 Judge Robert D. McGuinnes ruled that the $1 billion in real estate assets of the Watch Tower Society are to be frozen pending the outcome of the Watchtower Society’s appeal against the judgment of $21 million in punitive damages in the Candace Conti case. The outcome of the appeal is estimated to take up two years.”

    http://www.watchtowerinformationservice.org/sexual-child-abuse/1billion-in-real-estate-assets-of-jehovahs-witnesses-frozen-until-sexual-abuse-case-is-solved/

    • October 13, 2015 at 12:20 pm
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      Word has it that their hedge fund hasn’t been performing as well as expected.

      • October 13, 2015 at 12:29 pm
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        You would think that with the Holy Spirit on your side, it would be damm near insider trading

        • October 13, 2015 at 12:40 pm
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          and if you want to be technical it is the equivalent of playing the Lottery which according to their literature gets your eyes melted in Armagedon.

  • October 13, 2015 at 2:50 pm
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    Unfortunately many of the witnesses do not care to delve into any type of research which would discredit the “mothership” and are very entrenched in the routine and do not want to give up the social club – until something happens to them personally.

    Now that the special pioneers are being “downsized and laid off” they are being hit personally and this will be their awakening to the fact that the witness religion is a corporation that will downsize and liquidate assets to protect itself. It does not care about people as they are simply viewed as overhead and costly to maintain.

    I do get angry at myself for allowing myself to be fooled and manipulated for many years by a religion/corporation that did not know me and cared nothing for me and really only cared about its own comforts and survival.

    Unfortunately I think that the corporation will survive but in a much leaner fashion, with less adherents and the powers that be will be very comfortable for many years to come in their luxury resort in upstate New York.

    The GB were very smart to remove themselves as directors of the corporation and therefore remove themselves from any liability to do with the corporation. The directors of the corporation are also probably heavily insured to insulate themselves as well.

  • October 13, 2015 at 2:58 pm
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    “The Board of Directors (the GB) of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society have come to a unanimous corporate decision. We need to downsize and get rid of our workers in order to reevaluate our needs as a board. Before the whole thing crumbles we need to get our set up in Warwick completed so that we can live in comfort till the day the Lord carries us up.

    All these ex-workers can find another place to roost while we are first on the queue for the stairway to heaven.” Had to throw that in JB Reezner. *Of course this is just an imaginary statement.

    • October 13, 2015 at 6:15 pm
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      I think you’re absolutely right on the mark, Meredith J. Let’s grab all the cash we can while there are still some Witnesses actually willing to give us their money and belongings, and let’s not spend any more money on ANYTHING that doesn’t profit us financially. After that, we can sit back in our lakeside palace watching the ducks swim by.

      Honestly, although I need to let it go, my embarrassment for having devoted my life to the cult that these wretched men lead keeps growing with every new story of their improprieties, greed and heartlessness. May we all live to see them crash and burn.

      • October 14, 2015 at 12:40 pm
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        At least the churches whom the GB has labelled as being false and Satanic, most if not all have some kind of outreach ministry where they use their donations to help the poor and needy.

        On the other hand, all of the rank & file JW’s donations go into the running of a real estate and publishing business from which the GB profits.

        I used to be so conflicted when I used to read WT & Awake magazines about how wrong the social gospel is (e.g. I recall a WT about ‘rice Christians’) because only God’s kingdom can bring about a long term solution to poverty & as JWs we shouldn’t get involved in such charity work as doing so shows that we are not looking forward to God’s kingdom as the longterm solution, and we will only be patching up Satan’s system of things which is doomed for destruction and our involvement would only be helping Satan’s system to prosper and the persons being helped would only become interested in God for what they can get.

        What BS – what if all the churches were to take this view? All those poor, starving people should just be left alone to suffer and die because we would just be patching up Satan’s system of things and helping it to prosper if we were to get involved in charity work?

        The condemnation of the social gospel was just the GB’s way of ‘pulling the wool over our eyes’ so we wouldn’t wonder about what they are doing with our contributions if they are not using it for charity work.

        • October 14, 2015 at 1:23 pm
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          I remember that attitude too and the article. I remember we had bushfires in our area and the Salvation Army would arrive with all kinds of things for the firies to eat and lots of willing workers there to distribute it. And the brothers used to criticise their efforts. I never ever liked that.

          When there was a crisis their efforts were pathetic. We had a bushfire once that was almost knocking on our door. I remember an elder driving past in his car to go and help another brother and sister down the road. He stayed with them as I was spraying the house with water. He never once just stopped and asked if we needed any help. No, he did not like us. It made me sick to my stomach to see the favoritism with help that constantly was going on with everything. We should have left then.

        • October 14, 2015 at 7:28 pm
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          Our talk this Sunday was about not wasting time with charities or throwing our money away on beggars, whom the speaker assured us are faking it most of the time. I cannot picture Jesus calling someone homeless and in serious need a faker. He went on to elaborate on how real charity would be to teach him the “good news”. This organization/corporation has fallen so far from the tree. I can’t help but recall one of Jesus final lessons as he left the temple for the last time. They are withering and embodying Jesus description of false faith.

          • October 15, 2015 at 7:16 am
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            “Don’t wastenyour time with charity” typical. I remember many saying that very statement. But most assuredly they have no qualms about using those very charities should THEY need them.
            Make a wish foundation is an example. A terminally ill witness child in my area was given an all expenses paid trip (along with her parents) to anywhere she wanted to go. She chose bethel of all places, go figure. Did the witness parents reject the charity offered to them? HELL NO!

        • October 14, 2015 at 8:10 pm
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          Amen, Sister. My thoughts as well.

  • October 13, 2015 at 6:08 pm
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    The last time I went to a assembly, about a year and a half ago. I notice the lack of younger or even middle aged there. Most attending were maybe 60 up. So the demise of this cult is now sitting in kingdom halls living on fixed incomes.

    • October 15, 2015 at 6:24 am
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      Im not so sure….there are quite a few young ones…they are trapped into the lie as well and espouse the saying…’best life ever’…over and over again…including my own children…ok so maybe not as many as when I was young but it seems the ones still in are totally brainwashed and I cringe when I see them showing the sinister Caleb and Sophia videos to little ones from just a few months old repeatedly…constantly…its mind control at its most adept…Its a scary cult.

      • October 15, 2015 at 7:17 am
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        @Idontknowwhattodo, I remember saying that over and over again that it was the best life ever. I don’t know where my brain was. It certainly wasn’t attached to my head.

      • October 15, 2015 at 7:47 am
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        Those videos are disgusting to the point of being unwatchable, Idontknowhatodo. And my experience is the same as yours regarding young ones. I have an acquaintance who just got reinstated after being df’d at around 18. He dutifully endured the year-or-so period of penitence and seems happy to be back in the fold.

        Prodigal son’s comment is definitely good news, but there are still many young Witnesses out there (there certainly are in my area). A cult can just as easily hold sway over the mind of a young person as it can the mind of someone older.

        Although websites like this one are just a few clicks away, the perceived danger of looking at “apostate” sites can be a powerful one, as we all know. Even for myself, I had to first conclude in my own mind that I didn’t have the truth before I ever even dared to read Ray Franz’ book or look at JWfacts (and then eventually JWsurvey, which is now home base).

        But youngsters keep becoming more sophisticated in their thinking, and the number of them curious enough to at least see what others have to say about their religion is surely growing. I’d also guess that there are cases where school kids see the bizarre, horribly awkward restrictions JW kids have to impose on themselves at school, and they come back the next day with some printed pages saying, “Here’z about a thousand different reasons why you shouldn’t believe what you believe.” I hope so.

      • October 16, 2015 at 7:42 pm
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        Well maybe younger people are smarter in North Carolina……… who knows. Most of the kids I grew with in this cult have been gone. I came back for a short stint and studied after a bad divorce. I was depressed and my JW grandmother swooped in and started brain washing me. The JW which I was studying with started guilt tripping me and I showed him the door quickly. One study he made a comment about my Led Zeppelin t-shirt while sitting in my house at my kitchen table. He left in a hurry that day also. I tried to drink the kool-aid for a couple of years but I just couldn’t do it anymore.

  • October 13, 2015 at 10:08 pm
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    Today, October 13, 2015 talk number two was, What is Apostasy? In the talk they warned against aimlessly wondering on the internet. I feel this talk was given because the society is worried. It’s funny the way the org keeps doing things that continue to alienate it’s members.

    • October 16, 2015 at 8:07 am
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      I skipped this meeting… legit excuse. I saw the title of the talk and wondered how it would be handled and by whom.. anyway, Last night I had a call from one of our elders lol. I didn’t answer the phone. He left a message asking for a time when they can come visit me. Ugh

      • October 16, 2015 at 2:01 pm
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        I hate lies. I mean, I truly detest dishonesty. Having said that, my advice to you? LIE your little heart out. You would only be doing it to a cult that has heartlessly done it to you for many years with no real regard for your happiness, spirituality or even your life.

        On the other hand, maybe you’re ready to tell the elders to go stuff it. Either way, we got your back, Tara.

        • October 17, 2015 at 7:43 am
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          Thanks JB. I am ready to tell them to stuff it down their tight pants…. but now they have my daughter back and they would tell her to shun me… my ex daughter in law would make it difficult for me to see my granddaughter too. I hate this cult. So I think the lies have to be my option until the Borg. implodes more.

          • October 17, 2015 at 4:11 pm
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            Ugg, the limited options thing gets so frustrating. May the Org’s end come soon and be friggin’ cataclysmic.

  • October 13, 2015 at 11:34 pm
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    The more they warn without say why and what it is they are being accused and stand up to the accusations more JW with start to think.

    They are bringing themselves down with every video like this, many are already doubting and will want answers, just a few googles and they will have their answers.

    • October 14, 2015 at 9:47 am
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      As I always like to say, “You can’t lie to the internet!”

      The Watchtower was growing slowly but steadily up until the internet age started to really take off. Now their only growth is from the 3rd world lands where internet is a luxury and education amounts to reading a story out of the Mickey Mouse club. Again, anyone with half a brain can see that the Witchtower’s lies don’t hold water! IT’S ALL LIES!

      Now being the tech savvy guy I am, I should have known better myself that I should ALWAYS do research on EVERYTHING before getting locked into a contract. It took me — years to wake up! It makes me so angry thinking about all the time I wasted.

      Thank “YHWH” for the internet!

  • October 14, 2015 at 2:23 am
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    Would it not be better to be humble before ones own brothers who also are weakened by inherent sin being forgiven and also being forgiving, than to insist on this “only channel” thing telling all to wait on Jehovah? Is the most high a dog so that any prophet may drag him by a lead?
    Very well; tis’ only Jehovah who may judge them!
    To re-phrase Festus; To Jehovah they have appealed to Jehovah it should go.
    Let him without sin cast the first stone.

    • October 14, 2015 at 9:47 am
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      “Let him without sin cast the first stone.”

      Remember. They removed this from their ‘Silver Sword” edition. It’s much too convicting of the organization, the 7 little tyrants, and their disfellowshiping ways.

    • October 14, 2015 at 3:55 am
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      Thanks, Actigall Ur. Have now signed.

      We in the UK are looking forward to the results of the still ongoing UK Charity Commission’s investigation into the Watchtower’s barbaric ‘safeguarding’ policies.

      Plus it seems extremely likely that the Watchtower will be investigated in the ongoing four-year UK Independent Inquiry, headed by Judge Lowell Goddard, which officially began its work this August.

      The exposure is becoming relentless. Watchtower need to start designating funds for redress.

      • October 16, 2015 at 8:13 am
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        done

    • October 14, 2015 at 6:14 am
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      Thanks Actigall Ur, I have signed as well.

    • October 14, 2015 at 7:14 am
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      I signed also. Thank you. Hope this goes somewhere. Aloha

    • October 14, 2015 at 8:14 am
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      Signed,and please continue to share the link incase interested parties are off site for a few days and miss it.

    • October 14, 2015 at 9:38 am
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      Thanks everyone! You guys can contact me if you want more details. My user name- actigallur at activist.com

      “The harvest is great, but the workers are few!” ;)

      • October 14, 2015 at 1:33 pm
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        That was great. Let’s hope it wakes a few more up. Funny the story after was about Playboy Magazine.

  • October 15, 2015 at 10:32 am
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    Saw this in another forum:
    In November 2011 the Toronto Star reported that Nineteen of Canada’s top grossing charities refuse to release their full audited financial statements to the public. The #Watchtower#JehovahsWitnesses were on this list.
    “There were some downright inexplicable aspects to many charities, but nothing more concerning than the lack of transparency from the 19 which refused to provide financial information” said Greg Thomson “If a charity is not transparent, you may as well reconsider donating.”
    http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2011/11/15/audit_of_charities_encounters_resistance.html

  • October 15, 2015 at 11:51 am
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    , the new Reasoning book pg19 states that Jesus Christ himself uses the Faithful (7Samurai) slave to explain the fullfilment of bible prophecy and to help us live in accordance with bible principles.
    They’ve washed their hands of their numerous false prophecies claiming a middle men position on these matters and gone on to throw Christ under the bus for their arrogance. I really hope all of these Bethelites and Special pioneers live out the words in Nehemiah 13:10
    ” I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone off, each to his own field. ”

    This organization was supposed to look out for those that held the front in the preaching work. They’ve traded you in for Rolexes, TV studios, rape pay outs and a lake front Waco complex. The donations we gave were specifically for you (the ones that would do what we couldnt in the preaching work) and your needs.

    These false religious leaders are paying the price of trying to cover for rapist pedophiles. If they had left criminal matters in the hands of the authorities, the only one paying anything would have been the criminal. Instead you chose to protect the vile danger at meeting in order to maintain an image of chastity and innocence that does not exist in the organization. Obstructing justice is going to have a hefty price.

    Again to all these poor souls, get out from her if you don’t want to share in her sins and consequences.

    • October 15, 2015 at 12:22 pm
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      Robert, did they get a new Reasoning book? I haven’t heard anything about that.

      • October 15, 2015 at 6:23 pm
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        Yes, version 3 or 4.0 They have to remove (try to hide in the inernet age) the embarrassing false prophecies that positively mark them as false prophets.
        Proverbs 30:5,6
        Deutoronomy 18:18-22
        Revelation 22:18-23

    • October 15, 2015 at 3:16 pm
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      The GB has to try to maintain an image of chastity and innocence as they would like to pretend that child molestation does not occur in Jehovah’s organization. It only occurs in the false, Satanic religions of Babylon the Great. Jehovah’s organization is so superior to these other religions, so child molestation does not occur there.

      This is all a part of the “us” and “them” cult control tactic – everyone else is bad and only Jehovah’s organization is good, so have nothing to do with other religions.

      While we are on the topic of child molestation:
      Dear governing body, where are the two witnesses in the following situation?

      Deuteronomy 22:25 – 27:
      “But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die.
      But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death. For just as a man rises against his neighbor and murders him, so is this case.
      When he found her in the field, THE ENGAGED GIRL CRIED OUT, BUT THERE WAS NO ONE TO SAVE HER.”

      Dear governing body: “……THE ENGAGED GIRL CRIED OUT, BUT THERE WAS NO ONE TO SAVE HER” so where were the two witnesses in this situation???!!!

      Did I hear you say ‘none’? It seems you are finally getting the point! A person doesn’t call two other persons to watch him while he rapes someone……………unless of course they are planning on having group sex. LOL!

      • October 15, 2015 at 4:23 pm
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        I have never understood our thinking /reasoning in this regard. If you open the door to the kingdom hall Sunday morning and one of the brothers is face down with a knife in his back stone cold dead. What do the Elders do? Clean up the mess and then call the service desk Monday morning? No witnesses, zero. Maybe a accident. .right, but for some reason when it’s the crime of rape, we’ll that’s our department.

      • October 15, 2015 at 5:07 pm
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        Also if she is being raped with a gun to her head, telling her that if she makes a sound she dies. Well the Watchtower says that if she doesn’t cry out she committed fornication by submission.

        • October 15, 2015 at 5:11 pm
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          Source-Watchtower 1964 15th January page 63

        • October 17, 2015 at 3:48 pm
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          One of the most awkward moments I ever experienced in a Kingdom Hall was over this issue. One of our least educated elders (but not the one who was quite literally retarded) was handling a part that touched on this subject and there came a point where his comment was something like, “Now you sisters, you can’t just be with a man and then tell us it was rape (almost snickering). If you’re getting raped you’ll have to scream to show that that’s what’s happening”. (I was going to write his actual words phonetically to convey his backward Southern grammar, but it’s probably best not to. Just understand that it was atrocious and amplified the insanity of what was being said.)

          After that, I was just sitting there in disbelief that someone so unqualified to handle such a serious subject was up on the stage showing himself to be an uninformed, insensitive fool.

          But there’s more… After his comment, a sister in the congregation who had actually been raped (as an adult, not JW-related) raised her hand, he called on her, and, voice shaking, she very firmly straightened him out regarding the utter state of powerlessness a woman can find herself in during a rape.

          It felt like the Kingdom Hall itself groaned from the intense awkwardness of the moment. But, I was glad she said it. The elder deserved it. The congregation needed to hear it.

  • October 15, 2015 at 1:21 pm
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    I have just been reading the scripture from my King James bible of 2 Thessolonians 2:3 and it says “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
    Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so thatis as God sitteth in the temple of god, shewing himself that he is God.”

    I have noticed that the word “apostasy” is not used, instead “there come a falling away”. What that means I am not sure but there is nothing there about “man of lawlessness” which is what the Watchtower always harped on about. Remember this bible, the King James was the one the original Bible Students first used for many years.

  • October 15, 2015 at 1:28 pm
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    @Robert67

    “The donations we gave were specifically for you (the ones that would do what we couldnt in the preaching work) and your needs.”

    This comment you made is so true and the money was supposed to be for the ones who were preaching and it appears to me that the funds have been misappropriated. How do the GB get away with this?

    I believe that there will be a day of reckoning.

  • October 15, 2015 at 1:35 pm
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    The other day I got a phone call from my daughter. She and her husband left when we did about 13 years ago. Her friend had rung her to tell her that she had gone back to the cult. They have known each other for a long time and her friend had been out for years too.

    My daughter tried to speak to her scripturally about the flaws of the New World Translation and how they have dummed down Jesus in it. Hoping that she might be interested, instead she got a very cold line “If you don’t stop talking like this, then I’m going to have to report you”. My daughter got off the phone and cried.

    Her friend had only been back for 2 weeks and yet she had already been brainwashed like a robot. My daughter said “they still regard you as their property even if you haven’t been there for years”. It is a true cult that should be obliterated. I commended her for her attempt to speak to her scripturally to wake her up. Even if it was to no avail, she tried.

    • October 15, 2015 at 2:57 pm
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      She mentioned that it was like ‘The Hotel California’ where you’re welcome to stay but you are never allowed to leave. I have to make a retraction and say that she said “I will have to report this” and not “you”. But it meant the same thing anyway. This is for my previous comment that is being moderated.

  • October 15, 2015 at 4:21 pm
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    I have googled individual congregations on my computer. Many are listed on charity sites, as charities or charitable organizations. I suppose every religion is a registered charity. But at least mainstream religions do real charity, like homeless shelters, schools, or soup kitchens, eg. The Salvation Army. The Watchtower Society only serves itself, especially the top dogs. But they justify it by saying they are helping the community. It is the perfect cover for their cultish behavior.

    • October 16, 2015 at 4:13 am
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      @anonymous. Yes, they claim to be doing a free”community” service! Oh really? what is that free community service? recruiting members intot the cult.It sounds so good to unknowing persons. I remember one pioneer sister back in the day used to to say in her presentation that we are doing a “World wide Volunteer work today” It is a worldwide bible educational work. Man, thy sure know the right “BUZZ Words” don’t they? World wide, Volunteer, free, bible educational work,Free community service. it all sounds good doesn’t it. In reality the JW’s do no volunteer community work.They do not help any Non JW’s and few JW’s ( unlike other churches and unlike the Mormons ) who at least help their own members.Have you ever heard of a JW hospital or JW soup Kitchen,Or a JW homeless shelter or a JW animal shelter or a JW abuse shelter or abuse shelter? No they don’t do anything for anyone except themselves and they hide their assets in secret.

  • October 15, 2015 at 6:52 pm
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    My sister broke the news today about the downsizing at her Bethel. (I won’t mention here where). My sister and her husband are the lucky few. They have their life saving, a house and their own construction company. They were only entered the Bethel in the last few months, just got their letter this week. We know of a sister, a long-time friend of family, who’ve in the Bethel service for over 23 years!
    She’s saying that the money spent at Bethel around the world is increasing and less donation coming here.
    23 from the Thailand Bethel
    600 from the Wallkill Bethel
    350 from the Japan Bethel.

  • October 16, 2015 at 2:51 am
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    The watchtower is a big joke. So full of themselves. Wolves in sheep clothing !!!

  • October 16, 2015 at 3:44 am
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    All these comments and scripture quote surely shows that all their prophecies are turning upon themselves.At the end NO ONE will mourn the loss of liars and charlatans.I do think those who awakened first will be shaking heads in disbelief at how corrupt things really are.The arrogance of condemning world religion when that is God’s job will turn and bite this nasty religion. All those acusations will come upon their own heads. We will have to hide when that denunciation goes over. I want a t shirt that says “duped but escaped” and on the back a crumbling watchtower with a wrecking ball poised. I don’t want much..Ha ha (just the 10m pb promised me) hey even i might go pioneering! ruthless/ruthlee

    • October 16, 2015 at 6:50 am
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      can we get the image from the daniel book and put watchtower logo on it!

    • October 16, 2015 at 8:55 am
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      @ruthlee … YOU DESERVE MORE THAN £10 MILLION!!! …. & So does Everyone else who has WASTED Their Lives SLAVING for 7 CONMEN of BROOKLYN !!
      I Have 2 WITNESSES …… Mr WALTER SALTER & Mr OLIN MOYLE !!! NO !! I Have 3 WITNESSES !!….. & Mr RAY FRANZ !!!
      There You Go!!

  • October 16, 2015 at 4:19 am
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    Hi Dee.
    Thanks for the interesting link. Secrecy and a lack of
    transparency is the murky way this org, operates and
    controls. The elders Flock Book, over 140 pages of
    Talmud Laws that JWs are ruled by, covering Marriage,
    Employment, Neutrality and much more. The R & F
    were not allowed to see it even though they were expected
    to live by it. it was to be kept under lock & key.

    The same suppression of info with letters to elders,
    often several pages. But the cong, only allowed to know
    what’s on the first page, the rest filed away out of sight.
    The link you provided,Dee, advocates withdrawing support
    from organisations that are not transparent. That’s
    excellent advice.

    The opposite of transparent is Opaque, it’s synonyms are
    Dark, Shady, Murky, Dirty. Best wishes, Ted.

  • October 16, 2015 at 5:04 am
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    Has there been any mention of downsizing in the UK?
    Does anyone know what is happening at Chelmsford?
    Also if the printing is being cut so drastically why is such a large printing complex needed?
    What does everyone actually do there if most publications are now on line?
    What happens to the yong men who drive the trucks?
    Can it now all be done from a transit?
    What happens to those who have been pensioned off and asked to leave Bethel?
    So many questions.
    Does anyone know the answers?
    What about old special pioneers who still receive an allowance?

    I would really like to know what is happening in the UK

    • October 16, 2015 at 8:48 am
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      @Sister Drifter UK . … I have a friend who has a brother in UK Bethel who has driven Literature trucks for 16 years & About 2 months ago He Was made Redundant from that Job & Now Works in the Printery . But for How much Longer! Fortunately for him he owns his own Flat outside of Bethel & had a Good Well Paying Job before he Went to Bethel , BUT there are MANY Younger ones NOT in that position & will find it a Real Struggle when they are given Their MARCHING ORDERS!!

    • October 26, 2015 at 4:16 am
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      I have 2 friends that sold up everything to go to Chelmsford…that was a few months ago….they have been sent home….there is little or no work going on there…but you hear lots of red herrigs and smokescreening going on to cover it up….My spouse thinks it shows how Jehovah is directing people to the field because the end is imminent again….I repeat…this couple sold up Everything….shades of ’75?

  • October 16, 2015 at 7:04 am
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    Kingdom Hall passes resolution to have publishers pay for Circuit Overseer insurance policies (G.A.A). A cost of $15 per publisher. Another cost cutting Ponzi scheme to have publishers pay for things publishers do not need to pay for. Majority of publishers raise their hands to pass resolution to pay for insurance policies. Can’t fix stupid.

    • October 16, 2015 at 8:20 am
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      As an elder I personally witnessed how most will raise their hand in a “yes I absolutely second this motion”, but will never actually fork over the promised amount. Why? Because they don’t have it. They can barely pay their own bills as it is. This Borg keeps asking for _amount for c.o _ amount for s.p _amount for Kingdom Hall rehab _amount and so on and so forth. They are never going to get something that simply isn’t there. Don’t get me started on the made up service hours in order to keep up appearances. I spoke to someone at work today and gave him a tract, I was at work for ten hours that day,, carry the two add the overlapping math and that comes to ten hours more or less on my field report. It’s insane. As elders you look away because all that matters is that the c.o will be impressed with the wave of service hours coming in. 132 publishers and only six book studies in a congregation that regularly does auxiliary pioneering. All they want is the numbers, padded or not. They should have a buddy system where two witnesses have to sign off on your field report for any given day. I believe the Earth will start spinning in the other direction for the WT.

  • October 16, 2015 at 7:54 am
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    Copied from Insight book:
    FOOD POUCH
    A bag, usually made of leather, carried over the shoulder by travelers, shepherds, farmers, and others. It was used for food, clothing, and other provisions, but it was not the same as the smaller girdle purse used for gold, silver, and copper coins. (Mt 10:9; Mr 6:8) David’s “shepherds’ bag” was doubtless such a food pouch. (1Sa 17:40) Jesus Christ, when sending out first the 12 apostles and then the 70 disciples to preach in Israel, told them not to carry food pouches. (Mt 10:5, 9, 10; Lu 9:3; 10:1, 4) Jehovah would care for their needs through the hands of fellow Israelites, among whom hospitality was a custom. Just before his death Jesus indicated that circumstances would change as a result of official opposition, so he told his disciples to take along both purse and food pouch. Nevertheless, they were to seek first God’s Kingdom instead of being anxious about material needs; thus they would give evidence that they depended upon Jehovah God to care for them in the ministry.—Lu 22:35, 36; Mt 6:25-34.

    I see it as small print – oh brothers did you not read it… shame.

    Of interest from our meeting this week. CO visit… please can every publisher cough up $3 (for his bus fare…) brackets mine. I wasn’t there but my daughter came home with that one… She picked up on it! So proud lol.

    Field service highlights KM Dec. 2015: over the course of 11 weels June- Aug, 57 Regional Conventions in Canada 629 new disciples…… doesn’t seem that many to me. Our circuit assembly had non baptised.

    • October 16, 2015 at 10:07 am
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      @Tara … I AUDITED Accounts after Last Circuit Overseers Visit .. The Elders Trust me with this as I did an Accountancy course & got my A Level MATHS before I became a Witness ! What makes Me SMILE is what the Congrgation gave for CO Expenses which amounted to £159 for Petrol & FOOD !! .. On the Receipt that the COs Wife for Food was …. CUSTARD TARTS , SIRLOIN STEAK, CRISPS , JAM DOUGHNUTS, Chicken Breasts, one Bottle of CHARDONNAY ,Salmon,etc !! The CO has a BELLY that is VERY ROUND & His Wife WOBBLES !!! & then at end of CO Visit , Brothers Give LOADSA MONEY in Envelopes & Cards!!
      My Wife Gave £40 Last Time !!!
      WHAT is the Difference than this & PAID CLERGY !!
      ALL TAX FREE !!

  • October 16, 2015 at 11:03 pm
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    The below extract was in this weekends WT study (paragraph 8)

    8. The privilege of living under Kingdom rule is well worth any effort we make to cooperate with Jehovah’s organization and care for theocratic assignments. Of course, our circumstances may change with the passing of time. For instance, some members of the Bethel family in the United States have been reassigned to the field and are nowenjoying abundant blessings in other forms of the full-time ministry. Because of advancing age or other factors, others who were in the traveling work have now received special pioneer assignments. If we cultivate contentment, pray for God’s help, and do all we can in his service, we will experience joy and will receive many blessings even in these critical last days. (Read Proverbs 10:22.)

    Coincidental timing or simply well planned? I think we all know the answer is the latter…

    • October 17, 2015 at 8:00 am
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      “Spits blood and feathers and she chokes on her morning coffee’… lying bar stewards.

    • October 17, 2015 at 1:57 pm
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      How can you make elderly people special pioneers? Go figure?

    • October 18, 2015 at 7:54 am
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      “…Because of advancing age or other factors, others who were in the traveling work have now received special pioneer assignments….”

      Since ‘special pioneers’ are now being shown the door with no compensation, this doesn’t really sound like winning a jackpot.

      • May 7, 2016 at 10:37 pm
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        The special pioneers that got fired are younger ones (under 60) and who did not have at least 15 yrs in special full time service.

        For those C.O.’s that are retired after age 70 and other older missionaries they can remain as “infirm special pioneers “. This means the WT continues to provide a monthly stipend and care for their housing and medical needs while they are not required to make the hours of special pioneer (130 hrs month).

    • October 18, 2015 at 6:26 pm
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      Just back from the meeting and had to read that in the WT and listen to all the garbage uttering forth from the R&F. ‘Oh how wonderful that we are blessed with a truly caring family at Bethel.’ ‘Isn’t it wonderful that these ones will bring a shout of praise to the cong. that they end up in’. ‘How much wonderful insight these ones will be able to share with us.’ BLAA BLAA BLEEDING BLAA I felt like throwing up. The only thing that distracted me was looking at the brothers to see who was wearing tight pants and counting how many young metro brothers we had in the hall with their murse’s…. do sisters with BLUE RINSES count as being bad?

  • October 17, 2015 at 4:57 pm
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    Although I have never been associated as a witness, my in-laws are uber dubs, some 3rd generation( 1 I guess since they overlap.

    A question consumes me.

    I am perturbed.

    The lack of definition in terms of scale, would render the afore mentioned term a parody of itself. By definition, a generation is a scaleable, TIME, PLACE OR EFFECT.

    • October 17, 2015 at 7:30 pm
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      Ariel, your careful articulation of your question deserves a conscientious and well-informed answer. So, here goes…

      The Org’s definition of “generation” is a load of horse sh*t.

      It’s just an act of desperation from a failing cult wanting to con its members into remaining on-board, in spite of an ever-growing list of failed predictions and false teachings.

  • October 17, 2015 at 5:59 pm
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    I just heard from a former bethelite that they have eliminated dinner meals at bethel. More ruff cuts. Gleaning wars will ensue at lunch.

    • October 17, 2015 at 6:32 pm
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      What Bethel branch would that be, WTcritic?

      I’m wondering what reasoning they are coming up with to explain that… Give Bethel family more time to arrive to their meetings? Or prepare for meetings? Spiritual food better than physical food…. Smh

      • October 18, 2015 at 7:51 am
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        @Chinchilla: This was announced at the US branch. I’m not sure of the other branches though.

  • October 18, 2015 at 7:50 am
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    Given what they did to Ray Franz after 40+ years of toiling for the Borg (not to mention being a member of the GB himself), this doesn’t come as any surprise whatsoever. I think the GB members are sh*tting in their spiritual pants at all the bad exposure they’ve been getting from either the pedophile problem, the ‘over-lapping generation’ fiasco, the fact that The End is nowhere in site and the fact that they’re still forcing members to either commit suicide themselves or watch their children die rather than be able to take a blood transfusion. The Royal Commission’s exposure of their dirty secrets must have been a huge blow and they are panicking; hence they’re trying to save a buck wherever possible. Clearly they feel no loyalty towards Bethelites, special pioneers or missionaries who have given them the best years of their lives, only to be kicked to the curb now.

    I hope they get sued. Ungrateful slimeballs.

    • October 19, 2015 at 11:53 am
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      Mary may i correct you.” sh**ting in their tight pants!” what an unholy mess. ruthless/ruthlee.

  • October 18, 2015 at 5:11 pm
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    I noticed during this weeks WT study that the article actually said that some bethelites in the US have had to adjust to new assignments outside in the Pioneer work, relating this to us adjusting to a new life in the new system of things, they have once again put a smoke screen up against the downsizing, i hope more of these people speak out about their new asignments, thats like loosing your job & adjusting to your new life with nothing behind you, very sad.

  • October 20, 2015 at 5:14 pm
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    Try to use better English and use spell check.
    Your brother and warm Christian love.

    Tony

  • November 3, 2015 at 7:27 pm
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    Until Governments provide legal rights for long-time members of Religious Organizations like the Watchtower, Bethelites must be very careful when divulging information and thank goodness Lloyd has been so careful when he passes along vital information enforcing or re-enforcing “we made the right choice leaving the Organization!”

    United State’s judges are not so kind to someone who has given 30-50 years of their lives and than they get thrown out on the Public System which pay’s almost nothing. In the United States if you did not pay in to the Social Security System, your lucky to get $740 a month as some Bethelites learned after getting dumped from the Watchtower. He had to work from age 62 to 75 and he barely got in at $950. The $740 falls under Medicaid and Welfare, Watchtower would see good people collecting Welfare while they are building up new facilities and ignorant young men and women are going to Bethel to serve as doctors and nurses for the honor of wiping the behinds of Cranky Old False Prophets!

    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/business/09religious.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

  • November 6, 2015 at 3:12 pm
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    Interestingly enough, I recently found out that some of my family (who have “served” at Bethel for the vast majority of their lives) were asked to leave and will be assigned as special pioneers. It was explained to me that there is a “special religious order” that circuit overseers and Bethelites are a part of which includes insurance and a very minimal amount each month to cover their expenses. And they have to live at a Kingdom Hall or another location that is used to house these types of individuals. Because, honestly, when you’ve been there for forty years, how are you supposed to go back to reality? How can you be expected to get a real job and provide for yourself? Sad that there are no provisions when you are removed from that “special religious order” though…

Comments are closed.